Together
by Rivulet027
Summary: With the curse broken Archie and Marco find that they need to discuss their fears and their relationship. Archie/Marco slash


Disclaimer: I own nothing to do with Once Upon a Time. It's not my toy box and I'm merely playing.

A/N: Written for the love_bingo prompt We are family. Written for S1, before they found August.

Together:

Archie set his pen down and ran a hand over his face determined not to look at the clock. He picked his pen back up, set it down again. With a sigh he buried his head in his hands. Slowly he looked at the clock and then his silent door. He glanced at the phone, took a slow breath and picked his pen back up. You can do this, he told himself as he looked back down at his work.

The knock at the door startled him. He dropped his pen, spun around and covered the distance in several quick strides. He yanked the door open and froze.

"Marco," he breathed.

Marco smiled at him hesitantly.

"Geppetto," Archie corrected.

"I suppose either will work."

Archie managed a smile and a nod before he asked, "Did you find him?"

"Not yet," Marco sighed.

"You will," Archie reassured.

"But first dinner?" Marco suggested as he shifted from foot to foot.

"Dinner?" Archie barely managed, "I-I thought you wouldn't…"

With a sigh he trailed off. Marco frowned, eyes trailing over Archie slowly. Archie shoved his hands into his pockets as he searched for the right words.

"We haven't talked since the curse was broken," he finally managed.

"I was scared," Marco admitted.

"I…but why would you…I was too."

The silence stretched out again and Archie broke it by looking up into Marco's eyes. He wasn't sure what to do with the concern he saw there.

Archie wet his lips, "I thought you would hate me."

"I thought the same," Marco admitted.

"Why would you think that?" Archie asked, confused.

"Because I was selfish and cruel to you," Marco explained, "I only thought about saving my boy and now I have lost him for good."

"We'll find him," Archie reassured, "We have to."

"He's August here, Henry told me. I went to his room at Granny's, but…" Marco's voice broke and he stopped shaking his head and staring at his hands. Uncertain Archie reached out and gave Marco's hand a squeeze. Marco grasped his hand firmly and with worry coloring his tone managed, "My friend, I feared you would remember how desperate the threat of the curse made me. I thought you might not forgive me for how cruel I was."

"No," Archie protested.

Marco stepped closer, cupped Archie's cheek as he pushed, "And you?"

Archie looked down and took a slow breath, "You know about your parents now and I don't…"

Marco pulled him closer, wrapped arms around him as he interrupted, "I…the first thing I remembered was how you helped me raise my-our boy."

Archie closed his eyes and leaned into Marco's embrace, wrapped arms around him tightly as he asked with hope, "Our?"

"Yes," Marco agreed as he pulled back to cup Archie's face, "You were as much a parent to him as I was."

"I," Archie started then closed his eyes to trail off, "I was…"

"No," Marco interrupted, "You may have found me because of what happened with my parents, but you didn't become my best friend because you felt you owed me a debt."

Archie opened his eyes, met Marco's and nodded. Marco smiled and Archie smiled back hesitantly before he suggested, "I think that it might be best to start over. We became good friends,"

"Family," Marco corrected.

"Family," Archie agreed, "before the curse, when I was still a cricket, but now in Storybrooke we started as friends and…I still love you, but…"

"No but," Marco interrupted, "I still love you as well."

Archie smiled, feeling the tension that had sat coiled in his shoulders since the curse had broken relax. Marco smiled back, leaned in and pressed a brief kiss to his lips. Archie pressed back, wrapping his arms more firmly around his best friend.

"I can't know if I'll stay human," Archie admitted, "and I think we need to discuss our past."

"There is much to work through," Marco agreed, "but first, I think, we should eat. Then we talk."

"Yes, let's do that," Archie agreed, as he grabbed his keys then took Marco's hand and squeezed it. Marco squeezed back, intertwined their fingers and together they left Archie's office.


End file.
